Attorneys File Lawsuit in Chicago Nightclub Disaster; Band Subpoenaed in Rhode Island Nightclub Fire Investigation
February 25, 2003
Attorneys and investigators took action this week in the wake of last week's nightclub disasters in Chicago and Rhode Island that left nearly 120 people dead. In lawsuits filed Monday, lawyers blamed the city of Chicago for the fatal stampede that killed 21 people at the E2 nightclub. According to attorneys, the city won a July Housing Court decision to shutdown the second floor of the building due to cracks in the ceiling truss but failed to enforce the order. The city claims it was up to the club's owners to honor the court order. The club's patrons rushed to the main exit of the nightclub after a security guard used peeper spray to break up a fight. Two additional exits were unlit and another was blocked.
In Rhode Island Tuesday, authorities subpoenaed members of the band Great White in their investigation of last Thursdays fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick that killed 97 people. The Station's owners insist the band did not have permission to use pyrotechnic equipment, which ignited a fire in the nightclub during the concert. The band's attorney, however, claims Dan Biechele, Great White's tour manager, received permission for pyrotechnics during a lengthy conversation with the club's owner a week before the show. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch said criminal charges might be filed in the case.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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